The Penguin Man
by Scars of Friendship
Summary: Joanna McCoy's favorite place is the zoo. [AU]


Summary: Joanna likes the penguins.

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Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes)

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She was always there at feeding time on Fridays, after school. The little girl with the red shoes. Her nose pressed up against the glass, watching as the penguins dove for their food, swimming past the glass like graceful dancers.

Jim guessed she had a thing for penguins, though her parents must have been pretty well off to pay for her to come by, week after week, just to watch them being fed. He looked down at his bucket. He only had a few fish left to throw in, but it couldn't hurt.

Leaving the enclosure took time, and he knew he had to be rather quick to catch her before she lost interest and left. He dropped the bucket off near the first gate, and made sure that none of the little critters had escaped around his feet before opening the second door and stepping out onto the public area of the park.

A quick dash round saw the girl starting to turn away from the tank, her face turned up to a man beside her. Jim had never really looked at the person she presumed was the girl's father before, but looking at him now, he was gorgeous. Dark hair and hazel eyes, his face smiling and happy as he bent down to straighten up the strap of her backpack.

It was in the shape of a penguin.

Jim ran around the side of the enclosure, managing to catch up to them just before they began to walk away.

"Hey! Um, sir!" Jim called. The father looked up, eyebrow raised and he took the little girl's hand in his own. She was looking at him with bright, happy eyes.

"Daddy! It's the penguin man!" she said and Jim couldn't help but flash her a bright grin. He put his hands awkwardly in his pockets when he drew close enough to them that he didn't have to raise his voice.

Up close he could see that the father was obviously a few years older than him, lines around his eyes and mouth showing that he hadn't led an easy life. His face was still incredibly handsome though, and the soft full lips had Jim already thinking about all the uses he could find for that kind of mouth.

Not that he'd ever get the opportunity of course.

"Hi guys. I've noticed the little lady around for a while. Just thought you might want to help me feeding the guys?" he gestured over his shoulder at the tank. The little girl's eyes lit up but her father's expression shuttered into a scowl.

"You sure that's wise? Don't those things have diseases or something?" he asked. Jim didn't think it was prudent to point out that the scowl only seemed to make the man more attractive.

"Unless either of you have issues with your immune systems, you will both be fine," he said. He could see that the little girl was pulling on her father's hand.

"Please dad. Please please please pleasepleasepleaseplease," she was chanting. Jim wondered if she was going to run out of breath, but it seemed never-ending. The man sighed tiredly.

"Joanna, your mom's coming to pick you up any minute. We're already going to be late because we watched the penguins," he said, kneeling down next to her. Jim schooled his expression into 'careful neutral'. That sounded like a divorcee father right there.

"Well, how about we take a rain check for today and you come back next week when you've got more time?" he asked, digging around in his back pocket for his wallet. The father looked up at him, looking intensely grateful.

"You hear that, we can come back next week and do it then, sweetheart," he said. The girl still looked about to cry and Jim guessed that to a girl her age a week must feel like a lifetime. He found his wallet and pulled it out, grabbing one of his business cards from it to hand it to the father.

The man stood up to take it from him, beautiful, elegant hands brushing against Jim's for a second as he did so.

"Call me some time over the week to arrange a time," Jim said, his smile slightly lop-sided. The father's smile echoed his own.

"Alright… Jim," he said, reading the name off the card. Jim grinned and put his wallet away, feeling a little sheepish.

"It's a date," he said, not even trying to keep the flirtatiousness out of his tone. The father let out a startled laugh and glanced down at Joanna.

"You wouldn't be trying to use my little girl's obsession with those damned creatures as a way to get my phone number would you?" he asked. Jim shrugged. His intentions hadn't started that way, but really this man was rather gorgeous.

"The name's McCoy. Leonard McCoy," the man introduced himself and he slid Jim's card into the top pocket of his jacket. "And I'll see you next weekend."

Jim just smiled at the gentle rebuff. So he hadn't got the other's number? It wasn't the end of the world and he would still get to perv on the eye candy next weekend when Leonard brought his daughter back to feed the birds.

"Say goodbye to Jim the Penguin Man, Joanna," Leonard said, his eyes crinkling a little as he smiled. Joanna waved and Leonard began to lead her away. Jim watched them go but just before they were going to turn the corner towards the reptile house, he saw Leonard look back over his shoulder, scowling.

That night his phone rang.

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Notes: Prompt:  
jadziabear asked:The other day someone put a post in the McKirk tag that said something like "au where Jim is a zookeeper and the zoo just happens to be Joanna McCoy's favourite place to go." I'd love to see a fic of this if you're up for it! Thanks :)


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